The Super Duper Quest to Get Together
by PsychoticQuill
Summary: Ron and Hermione goodness. Ron has to win Hermione over from non-existent competition. Misunderstandings and fluffiness. (Title may change in the near future due to stupidness) Not complete


Thank you to all the great reviews I got for my other story, which I haven't completed yet because I sort of lost my inspiration. I'll try to finish it this summer, though, when I have more time. In the meantime, I felt like posting this, something that came to mind during one of my classes one day. I haven't done too much editing because I figured if I did it'd take me till Christmas to post. So I hope it's ok.  
  
Well, let me know what you think of this one! I'm hoping to actually update somewhat regularly, and receiving reviews would definitely help with that. I love reviews, even if they're saying my story was horrible, as long as they're constructive. Thanks for your time :)  
  
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"Who are you geting a gift for?" Ron asked, as Hermione withdrew a folded paper from the hat.  
  
"We're not supposed to tell, remember?"  
  
This Christmas, all the Griffindors in their year had agreed to take part in a 'secret santa' gift exchange. Each person was to draw a name of one of the other participants from a hat, and then find a gift for that person. It was supposed to be a secret who was buying for who, until Christmas day when the gifts would be exchanged.  
  
"You're no fun!" he teased, as he reached into the hat to pick a name.  
  
She glared at him. "Well then, who did you draw?"  
  
He unfolded his paper, read the name, and quickly crumpled it up and stuffed it in his pocket. "We're not supposed to tell, remember?" he mimicked. Hermione rolled her eyes.  
  
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Ron was sitting in the common room talking to Harry, Dean and Seamus, when Hermione walked up to him. "Ron, can I talk to you for a second? Alone?"  
  
"Um.. sure.." He could feel his ears redden as he got up and followed her out into the corridor.  
  
They walked together a short distance, until she stopped, turned to him, and spoke.  
  
"I need your help."  
  
"Ok."  
  
"Well.. you're friends with Dean.."  
  
Ron nodded, wondering where this was going.  
  
"What kinds of things does he like? What's he interested in?"  
  
"Dean? Well.." As he began to list Dean's interests, Ron became increasingly angry, until he finally snapped "I hope that helps you. I have to go." And before she had a chance to reply, he turned on his heels and walked back towards the common room. Hermione followed, and shouted "Thank you, Ron!" as he hurried up the steps into the boys' dormitories. He didn't even turn to acknowledge her, simply nodded his head.  
  
Hermione sighed and sank into the nearest chair.  
  
"What happened?" Harry asked, as he sat down across from her.  
  
She shrugged. "Who knows. I was just talking to him, and he got mad and ran off."  
  
"What were you talking about?"  
  
She glanced over at Dean, sitting nearby. "I just.. had to ask him something."  
  
Harry hesitates, then asked, "Was it about Viktor?"  
  
"What? No, actually it wasn't. Please tell me you're not goint to start with that too," she said tiredly. "Viktor and I are just-"  
  
Harry held up his hands. "I know, I know. I was just wondering why he was mad."  
  
She shook her head sadly. "I don't know. I thought we were finally starting to get along better than we used to.."  
  
"I'll go talk to him," Harry offered.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Harry went up to the dormitories and found Ron, who was sitting on his bed, mumbling to himseld, staring at a crumpled piece of paper on the bed in front of him.  
  
"Hey mate, what's with you?"  
  
Ron looked up, looking rather stunned. "What am I going to do, Harry? How do I get something for her? I can't get her just any old thing, it's not good enough for her. But I can't get her anything too good or she'll know how I feel. So I don't know what to do. MAybe I can trade with somebody. But no, then they'd know. Maybe she wouldn't notice if I just didn't get her anything. She wouldn't know who was supposed to get her gift anyway. But no, she's notice, and she'd be hurt. But I just can't-"  
  
"Whoa, Ron. Who are you talking about?"  
  
Ron tossed him the crumpled paper, which Harry opened up. Harry then began to laugh. "So that's what this is about! Hermione!"  
  
Ron glared at him. "Don't laugh at me. Tell me what to do!"  
  
"Um.. get her a gift?"  
  
"Yes, but what?" Ron cried, exasperated.  
  
"Something that shows her how you feel."  
  
"Oh, no no no! There's no way I'm doing that!"  
  
"Why not? She likes you too!"  
  
Ron shook his head violently. "Not like that, she doesn't."  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"I just do," he said angrily.  
  
"Ron, no offense, but.. You can be a bit thick-headed about things like this."  
  
"No, she told me she likes somebody else."  
  
Harry's smile vanished. "She did?"  
  
"Yeah.. well, not exactly. I mean, sort of. Pretty much."  
  
Harry raised his eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"  
  
"Well," Ron began, getting off his bed and beginning to pace, "she's pretty interested in Dean. She wanted to know all about him today. What he's interested in, and that sort of thing. He's not a bad guy or anything, but.. i never had any idea she.."  
  
"Fancied him?"  
  
Ron sighed. "Yeah."  
  
Harry thought for a minute. "Wait... she WAS acting kind of.. suspicious earlier.. and she was kind of looking over at Dean a few times... You don't suppose she actually DOES fancy him?"  
  
"It's rather obvious. Bloody Dean."  
  
"Well, I thought it was obvious that she fancied YOU."  
  
Ron sat on the edge of his bed and shook his head dejectedly, mumbling "Me too."  
  
"But I guess I've been wrong before, so I could have been wrong about that too."  
  
Flopping backwards onto the bed, Ron covered his face with his hands and groaned. "Harry, if you're trying to help... It's not working."  
  
"Sorry. I'm just kind of surprised. But, like you say, Dean's not a bad guy. Actually, I've heard some people describe him as 'hot,' so I guess I can see-"  
  
Ron laughed and shook his head, "'Mione's not that shallow, Harry."  
  
"True, she does fancy you!" Harry teased, happy to get a small smile from his friend.  
  
"You prat, I think we've just established that she likes Dean, and not me."  
  
"No Ron. We established she MAY like Dean, but I think previous evidence is strong enough to suggest that she also really likes you. So now you just have a little competition. What's wrong with that?"  
  
"Competition? Me against Dean? Great. Just great. What have I got to win her over with? My charming ability to argue with her about anything and everything?"  
  
"How about the fact that you've been one of her best friends for the past six years?"  
  
"True.." Ron looked thoughtful. "But friends are different from.. more than friends. How do I.. how do I get her interested in me?"  
  
"Like I said, I think she's already interested. I thin you need to give her some clue as to how YOU feel, so she'll be more likely to make a move."  
  
"How?" Ron's voice was high-pitched and exasperated, as he looked at Harry pleadingly, waiting for a revelation. Suddenly, his expression changed and he snapped his fingers. "That's it!" He smiled widely. "Of course.. It's perfect. It'll show her how I feel, unless she doesn't want me to feel that way, and then I can just say I got it because I had to, because I drew her name! Brilliant!"  
  
Harry snickered when he realized what his friend was babbling about, not convinced it would work that easily, but wanting to encourage Ron to let Hermione know how he felt. "Yes.. perfect. What will you get her?"  
  
Ron turned to him, his grin slowly fading until it was replaced with a stunned look. "I've no idea."  
  
Harry laughed. "Well, I'm sure something will come to mind. Besides, you've got a whole week to figure it out."  
  
Ron groaned. "So in a week.. she's gonna KNOW. Oh, man..."  
  
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